ASHA INVITES YOU TO JOIN RACE ACTION’S CAMPAIGN TO LIFT THE BAN WHICH STOPS PEOPLE SEEKING SAFETY FROM WORKING

At present people seeking asylum are only allowed to work if they have been waiting on a claim for 12 months or more and can fill a role on the shortage of occupation list, which includes positions such as classical ballet dancers and geophysicists. This means people are essentially banned from working while they wait months, and often years, for a decision on a claim, living on the £5.39 a day the government allows.

The number of people waiting for a decision on an asylum claim had risen from 14,528 by mid-2018, the highest since records began. A significant number of these people will live in Stoke-0n-Trent.

ASHA sees at first-hand how demoralizing it is to live a hand to mouth existence, not knowing what your future holds and very often losing skills you hold dear. These men and women already carry a heavy burden of separation and loss and not being able to work takes a huge toll on their emotional, psychological and physical well- being.

People seeking asylum in Spain can work after six months, in Canada there is no waiting period and in Denmark asylum seekers can work subject to certain conditions. No other European country enforces such a restrictive waiting period as Britain.

Please sign the petition and write to the Home Secretary and your MP declaring your support for the Lift the Ban Campaign. THANK YOU.